Monday, 30 July 2018

Devastate Me is the first track to be taken from She Makes War's fourth album Brace For Impact which is due out on September 28th ahead of a UK tour. The single represents a departure in style for the musically diverse multi-instrumentalist, but still remains true to her uncompromising independent approach to her music.

Sunday, 29 July 2018

As part of the festival season to promote their forthcoming album Living In Extraordinary Times, James played the main stage at Kendal Calling on Friday night. The mysterious person behind the TimBoothLyricADay twitter account kindly offered to review their set which caused much debate on the band's social media groups because of the volume of new songs.

Monday, 23 July 2018

LIINES played their biggest headline show to date at the Deaf Institute and what a triumph it turned out to be. Three hundred or so like-minded souls, lovers of music, were joined together by the rapid-fire, raw sound of Zoe, Leila and Tamsin and their album Stop-Start and some new songs that suggest their star is set to rise further. Support came from London's Berries and Manchester's Threads.

Friday, 20 July 2018

One of our favourite bands and some of our favourite people LIINES released their debut album Stop-Start back in May. On Saturday they play their biggest headline UK show to date at the Deaf Institute in Manchester with Berries and Threads. We caught up with Leila for a chat about Stop-Start, the gig, new songs and their plans for the rest of the year.

Wednesday, 18 July 2018

Mission Hills is the lead track from Purple Heart Parade's debut EP for Club AC30 entitled Lonestar, due for release on September 7th. Following several years and line-up changes on the Manchester scene, the band signed to Club AC30 earlier in the year and these are the first fruits of this relationship.

Saturday, 14 July 2018

Day 2 of Mad Cool Festival saw Arctic Monkeys headline the main stage with little repeat of the chaos at the gates and food stalls and bars that marred the first day. We also caught Marica, Real Estate, The Big Moon and Wild Front before the headliners delivered a set heavily focused on new album Tranquility Base Hotel And Casino and AM.

Day 1 of Mad Cool Festival saw 30,000 people descend on land behind the Feria de Madrid complex in temperatures bordering on forty degrees for an evening headlined by Pearl Jam, but featuring a varied and diverse set of acts across eight stages.

Friday, 13 July 2018

Just 3 is the first new material from Little Sparrow since her album Wishing Tree. Including lead track Tender, revealed late last year, her radical reinterpretation of Madness' Baggy Trousers that she performed with Robin Dewhurst in 2016 at Kendal Calling and another new song Dry Your Eyes, the EP showcases the power, range and beauty of her voice and provides a tempting teaser for her second album that she's in the process of recording.

Thursday, 12 July 2018

Paul Heaton and Jacqui Abbott made a triumphant return to Manchester's Castlefield Bowl as part of the Sounds Of The City. With a set spanning back to Paul's days with The Housemartins right through to a new as-yet-unreleased track, a capacity crowd bathed in the very un-Mancunian sun and paid homage to the most unassuming of musical heroes.

Sunday, 1 July 2018

Gardenback launched their new single Health And Wellbeing with a raucous set at Manchester's Soup Kitchen on Saturday night. Supported by Carnation and Déjà Vega, their biggest headline show to date had them not only launch their single successfully, but also lay down a marker as one of the best live bands in town.

LA Witch brought their self-titled debut album and some new material to a baking hot Soup Kitchen basement on Wednesday night. The three-piece's raw and exciting sound, with the three of them lined up across the stage, replicated the energy of the album perfectly. Support came from Mossley's own Afghan Sand Gang.

David Ford returned to Manchester's Deaf Institute for the final night of his tour in support of his fifth album Animal Spirits. A twelve-song set was split 50/50 with songs from the album and tracks from his back catalogue and a surprise Beach Boys cover with support act Michele Stodart of The Magic Numbers.